


That Darn Four Letter Word

by TheRainbowFox



Series: Thasmin Week - January 19 [7]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Baking, Cute, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, I Love You, Idiots in Love, Napping, Sleepiness, Thasmin Week (Doctor Who), Thasmin Week 2019 (Doctor Who), Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-17 06:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17555003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainbowFox/pseuds/TheRainbowFox
Summary: Two-parter: How Yaz and the Doctor first said 'I Love You' to each other.





	1. How The Doctor Said I Love You

**Author's Note:**

> First part - The Doctor  
> Whoever first wrote about Sleepy!Doctor being adorable is a genius and I love this headcanon  
> And whoever first did the Yaz being a baker  
> I just...it's so wholesome
> 
> Second part will come after Thasmin week because I'm struggling to write anything coherent or plot-based at the moment  
> Nothing seems to click
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this Thasmin Week series, it has been the most fun I've ever had writing

Thasmin Week – Prompt Seven - First I Love You

 

When The Doctor Said I Love You

 

It had been one of those trips where Yaz decided to stay behind, meaning the Doctor only had to send Ryan and Graham home. The boys were privy to their budding relationship, it was nigh impossible not to notice. The pair had decided to keep it from other people for the meantime, just until they could figure things out. As much as the Time Lord wanted to give herself over, the lingering fear of what could be and how the past had treated her weighed heavily on her mind. Likewise, Yaz was unsure as to how she was going to explain everything to her family. They were still unaware of the whole…alien business, and she wanted to keep it that way.

 Their time together was simple. No solo adventures, just floating around in space and enjoying each other’s company. The Doctor had even stopped messing around with the TARDIS as often, her attention going elsewhere. Sometimes, the two would still bicker like a couple, mostly when the spaceship decided to make fun of her thief for diverting attention away from her. Yaz was never jealous, if anything she understood the relationship between the TARDIS and the Doctor much better than before. Hundreds of years travelling together would of course mean that the two had a deep connection with each other, and she did not want to interfere.

 The last stint of adventures had lasted around two weeks, and the Doctor had found herself unable to get any sleep at all. There was always something that needed doing. She would absolutely make sure her companions were well rested, humans needed more sleep than she did, but rest never came to her. The Time Lord would find herself randomly yawning, brain going hazy, or just lapsing entirely for a moment. Whenever Yaz or the boys said anything about her state, she would brush it off and tell a little lie about how she was fine.

 

“I can go way longer without sleep, the equivalent of a month for you lot.”

She had said. Except she was unsure who she was trying to convince.

 

Yaz had decided that today, she was going to teach the Doctor how to bake one of her Nani’s recipes. After having invited her around for another round of ‘tea at Yaz’s’, the Time Lord had practically begged to be taught how to make the strange cake-biscuit. She had even asked the TARDIS to make sure the kitchen was prepared with everything that the pair would need to spend the day baking.

 Resting her head against the console, the Doctor barely heard the sound of footsteps before a voice caused her head to jolt upright.

 “Doctor, kitchen’s all ready. Wait, are you alright?”

 Yaz walked over towards the console, leaning over to check on the Time Lord. She was greeted with a half-smile and tired eyes.

 “Oh. Yaz. Great! Been looking forward to this.”

 Pushing herself up, and almost stumbling backwards into one of the crystal columns, the Doctor rested her hands on her hips and tried to perk up. Yaz, however, was completely unconvinced and quickly appeared besides her.

 “Don’t avoid the question. You haven’t been yourself in a few days now.”

 “What? No, I’m fine. Totally fine. Come on, I really wanna know how you make those…what were they called again?”

 Sliding her arm around the grey coat and holding onto the Doctor’s waist, Yaz guided her towards the kitchen. Along the way, the Time Lord attentively listened to how things were going to work. Although the rusks were simple to make, there was a lot of waiting time. Something that was always difficult to manage. The Doctor was not known to keep still for very long, but she felt exhausted just thinking about bouncing around. Baking was at least relaxing.

 

Eventually, they both made it to the small kitchen. The Doctor took off her coat, swapping it out for a cream apron before handing a red one over to Yaz. Sleeves rolled up and hands washed, she was ready to go. After being handed a list of ingredients, she set to work on scouring the cupboards. Having never really used the kitchen before, mostly keeping it as a necessity for her companions, the Doctor found herself getting a bit lost and confused. She was much too used to either eating on journeys or having the TARDIS happen to make her something.

 Flour and sugar were the easiest to find, both in very large quantities. Salt and baking powder took longer, and the Doctor left a trail of open cupboard doors in her wake. Yaz had taken the eggs out as a way of not having them accidentally being broken, also taking the butter out to warm up.

 “Yaz. I know I’m looking for the vanilla and food colouring…but what do they look like?”

 “They should be in little bottles. You did show the TARDIS what we needed, right?”

 “’course I did! Well, she kind of guessed. I’m sure it will be fine.”

 Standing on her toes, the Doctor reached into the top cupboards, hands patting around the shelves as she muttered. Honestly, she missed being taller. Her former self could have sorted things no problem. Tongue poked out from the corner of her mouth as she stretched further. Fingers wrapped around what felt like a small bottle. With a huff, the Time Lord turned around with a grin.

 “Okay, I got the yellow stuff!”

 Yaz laughed, holding back a comment about installing a step ladder. Even though she was shorter, she had no trouble reaching into top cupboards. After a few more minutes, the ingredients had been found and orderly placed on the countertop, alongside bowls and spoons of various sizes. The Doctor had even managed to find an old set of weighing scales that looked like they came from the 60’s. Once the oven was set to the right preheat temperature, Yaz placed a worn book down and flicked through the pages.

 The Doctor looked over the pages as Yaz found the correct recipe. The book itself was very well used, with paper threatening to spill out from the binding. All the recipes inside were written in the most beautiful handwriting and were accompanied by a faded photograph. It was clear that the book was not something her companion had written herself, but more an heirloom. Being privy to such a thing made the Doctor incredibly happy.

 “Right then, Doctor. Let’s go ahead and start work on these rusks.”

 Feeling the weight of her eyelids coming down, the Doctor was given the responsibility of mixing all the ingredients together. She watched with a smile, leaning against the counter, as Yaz carefully measured everything out. Once she had permission, the Doctor set to work. Dipping the wooden spoon into the bowl, brows furrowed with concentration, she gently mixed the butter into the sugar. Normally she would have gone at the job with vigour, with the possibility of making a substantial mess of the kitchen and herself. However, the feeling of a weight pressing down on her was just distracting enough to keep her level-headed.

 Yaz slowly added the eggs, one at a time, noticing that the Doctor was still acting different than usual. She had prepared herself for cleaning up messes, or answering questions, but neither situation happened. Between the pair of them, they managed to make the cake batter in record time.

 “I’ll pour this in the cake tin. Do you wanna lick the spoon?”

 Taking the bowl away, Yaz turned the spoon towards the Doctor with a smile. However, the Time Lord shook her head.

 “Nah, I’m good. You can have it if you want.”

 That was certainly not the reaction she had been expecting. Yaz watched as the Doctor gave her another half-smile, before moving towards the dining table. She pulled out a seat for herself and sat down with a hefty sigh. Narrowing her eyes, the young woman turned her attention to the cake tin, quickly pouring the batter in. After messing around with a pair of star-printed oven gloves, she pushed the cake tin into the oven and turned her attention back to the Doctor.

 

Taking the seat next to her, she placed a hand against the Time Lord’s knee and looked at her solemnly.

 “Are you sure you’re alright? Only, you really aren’t acting your usual self. I thought you’d be all over that cake batter, normally can’t keep you away.”

 The Doctor turned her head, no longer smiling.

 

“Like I said, I’m f-”

 She yawned, loudly, desperately trying to cover her face with her hands.

 “Fine. I’m fine.”

 

Squeezing her knee, Yaz smiled and laughed.

 “No. You’re not. When did you last get some sleep?”

 She watched a pout take over the Doctor’s face, nose scrunching.

 

 “Can’t remember. I’m not tired an-”

 Another yawn, followed by tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

“Anyway. You don’t believe me, do you?”

 

“Considering you just yawned so hard you’re crying, then no.”

 Yaz stood up, ushering the Doctor to do the same. She moved to stand behind her and undid the apron, slipping it over her head and draping it over the chair. In a battle of wills, she always won. Sure, the Time Lord could be incredibly stubborn and uncooperative, but she gave in eventually. Without fail.

 “Let’s get you settled on the sofa, yeah? It’s the boring part of baking now anyway.”

 The Doctor was still pouting.

 “But Yaz, you _know_ they taste the best right out of the oven and I don’t want to miss that.”

 With a sigh, Yaz took hold of the Doctor’s arm and began to guide her out of the kitchen. She whined in protest, even attempted to dig her heels into the metal floor, but there was no real energy inside her to put up a fight.

 “Have a nap. If you don’t wake up from the smell then I’ll come back and get you. Deal?”

 Entering the adjacent living room, kindly shuffled around by the TARDIS, the Doctor broke away and sat herself down on the plush sofa. She kicked off her boots and curled herself up, shoving a couple of pillows underneath her head. Yaz picked up a blanket that rested on the back of the sofa and draped it over the Time Lord, before sitting herself down in the gap between her chest and legs. Leaning down, Yaz began to gently stroke the tussled mass of blonde hair. The Doctor sighed, still pouting, eyes half closed.

 “M’kay. Deal. Just this once.”

 With a wide smile, Yaz bent down and pressed a soft kiss against the Doctor’s cheek.

 “Okay. Have a good nap.”

 As the Doctor sighed again, Yaz headed back to the kitchen. However, catching the sound of the blonde murmuring to herself, she paused at the doorway.

 

“G’night. Love…you…Yaz…”

 

The TARDIS dimmed the lights and let out a quiet beep, causing the young woman to gently slap the door frame.

 “Oi, she says it to you all the time, I think I’m allowed this one.”

 Feeling warm inside and smiling wide, Yaz went back to baking.

 

Once the rusks were done, having being twice baked, she left them on the side to cool while she prepared some tea. Armed with a tray of drinks and snacks, she gently woke the Doctor from her slumber. The blonde’s reaction was priceless, earning her a quick kiss before the Time Lord set to devouring the still-warm treats. Yaz swore she even heard her mutter ‘I love you’ again.

 

Although it could have been to the cake.


	2. When Yaz Said I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of how Yaz first said I Love You to the Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got inspired to finish this off today  
> Pinpointing how Yaz would say those three words was so hard  
> I had about ten ideas  
> The Doctor was a lot easier to write aha

When Yaz Said I Love You

 

Yaz and the Doctor had been invited to have dinner with Ryan and Graham, something that had become a monthly tradition between the joint family. It was a good chance to wind down after whatever adventures they had been on. Depending on who was going to be in the flat, sometimes Yaz would invite everybody around for a cup of tea. The Doctor had slowly become much more accustomed to the whole socialising deal, gently helped along by her fam. She was better at keeping her tall tales in, and was even passing herself off as an actual doctor to Najia and Hakim.

 “Right you two, dinner’s at seven. And Doc, please keep the TARDIS outside today? You know I don’t mean to be rude to ‘er, but I need space for the bigger table.”

 Graham slung his coat over his shoulder, standing by the TARDIS doors as he waited for Ryan to come back from his room. The pair had to go food shopping for the monthly event. The Doctor smiled, running her hand down one of the glowing crystalline columns.

 “Don’t worry, she’ll behave this time. Won’t you old girl?”

 The TARDIS beeped a couple of times, before humming.

 “She promises.”

 

Ryan ran through the corridor, sliding to a halt as he reached the doors. Yaz followed behind slowly, arms folded across her chest.

 “Sorry. Couldn’t find my phone charger.”

 Yaz chimed in.

 “Again. Got lost under the bed. Honestly, sometimes it feels like this place is full of pocket dimensions.”

 The Doctor pulled herself away from the column, resting her hands on her hips as she shook her head. The TARDIS was not full of pocket dimensions. She was her own dimension, with her own laws and everything. And sometimes she liked to play a few jokes here and there. Still, they were all harmless.

 “Oi, don’t go dissing the TARDIS. Anyway, shouldn’t you boys be heading off now?”

 With an apologetic look, Ryan shrugged his shoulders. With a snap of her fingers, the Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and let two of her companions wander off. Cool air filtered into the spaceship, causing Yaz to shiver slightly. She was never the biggest fan of winter, she much preferred summer. Although, there was nothing better than eating good hearty food on a cold day. She was looking forward to whatever meal would be presented to the four of them later.

 

As the doors closed, Yaz made her way over to the Doctor and rested against the console, revelling in the feeling of the TARDIS humming. It wasn’t long before the Time Lord had appeared in front of her, looking down with a small smile. Their quiet moments together were few and far between, although Yaz had noticed that Ryan had purposefully been trying to push the two women together more. As much as she appreciated him being a wingman of sorts, it was becoming distracting.

“So, any idea what you wanna do before dinner tonight?”  
  
There were many things that Yaz would like to do. Or wanted to do. All of them could be done before dinner. The perks of living inside a space and time machine. However, she decided to reign herself in somewhat. Their lack of time together had been an issue plaguing her mind, but in the nicest way. It left her time to consider her options more thoroughly.

 “Mmm, well, there are a few things.”

 Yaz reached out or the mustard yellow suspenders and ran her fingers down the side of them, gently puling the Doctor closer. She would never tire of the instant flush that would grace the Time Lord’s cheeks, or the hard swallow that followed after. The young woman smiled, eyes turning towards the TARDIS console.

 “We could…run away. For a little bit. Take in some of the universe that’s just a moment for us. What do you think?”

 Brown eyes travelled back to the Doctor, who was still looking like a deer caught in some impossibly bright headlights. Her body had tensed up, eyes displaying the spectrum of micro expressions. Eventually, she softened, leaning in closer with a wide smile.

 

“Yasmin Khan, you really do speak my language.”

 

With hands against her cheeks, the Doctor dropped a kiss against the young woman’s forehead before pulling herself away to mess around with the TARDIS console. Yaz shifted herself around, taking hold and giving a small nod before the Time Lord span the egg timer and laughed.

 “Oh, this is going to be fun! I hope you like it. Honestly, no better place I can think of taking you.”

 As the TARDIS came to a dignified stop, the Doctor gestured towards the doors as she rounded the console. Yaz felt anticipation bubbling away inside her, along with curiosity and trepidation. As much as she loved travelling  with the Time Lord, she had gotten used to the fact that quiet was never always just that. Slow steps took her towards the door, head turning back to gain support and confirmation. With hands pressed against the cool wood, Yaz pushed forward.

 A small pile of snow slid across the metal floor, narrowly missing Yaz’s boots. The cold air was held back by the TARDIS, leaving just the view to take in. As the Doctor carefully mad her way to her companion’s side, Yaz could feel her mouth dropping open.

 “Doctor…where are we? This is…”

 

Nestled in a snowy bank, the TARDIS overlooked a vast winter landscape. Small huts were scattered below, with smoke trails coming from the chimneys. Creatures of all shapes and sizes wandered the slopes, going down on sleds or skiing. The sky was dark, illuminated by countless fireflies, a blue and purple nebula taking up a large portion of the view. Yaz had never been one for winter, but she had quickly changed her mind. Nothing she had ever experienced of snow would be able to beat where she was standing.

 “Yaz, welcome to the Peaks of Hyperion. Couple of galaxies over, an ice planet turned into a tourist trap. Think of it like those winter breaks you do to on Earth, to the Alps or whatever. Except this place has a view of the Hyrax Nebula; beautiful to look at, not so nice to be inside. Too unstable. Anyway, I know you don’t really like the cold but this place has some lovely walking trails AND the best hot drinks you’ve ever tasted.”

 As the young woman turned and threw her arms around the Time Lord, who almost careened back into the door frame, she let out a joyful squeak.

 “It’s beautiful! I love it.”

 The Doctor hummed, taking a moment to stroke her companion’s hair and mumble into her shoulder.

 

“Not as beautiful as you, Yaz.”

 

“I love you, Doctor.”

 

Freezing up a little again, the Doctor quickly felt her companion shift away. Yaz placed her hands on her hips and smirked, raising an eyebrow as she once again watched the blonde become flustered. She would tell her again, maybe, when she was in a more serious mood. Until then, she was more than content to leave that little revelation out there.

 “I’ll race you to the wardrobe.”

 With little time to receive a response, save for a few beeps from the TARDIS, Yaz bounded off from the console room and through the corridor. The Doctor sighed, straightening herself up before hearing another response from her beloved ship.

 “I’m not deaf you know, and don’t get all sassy with me. I just…didn’t except it is all.”

 A rather amused hum vibrated through the walls.

 “I’m going! Sounds like you just wanna get rid of me. Feeling a bit jealous?”

 With a sharp thud, the doors of the TARDIS swiftly shut, bringing in a daft of freezing air. The Doctor yelped, taking the hint and sprinting off to follow Yaz, laughter echoing throughout the corridor. The four words repeated through her mind like a calming mantra, and certainly helped to put more of a spring in her step than usual.

 

Their shared adventure lasted for several hours. The Doctor took Yaz on a very long hike, one which was broken up by quick snowball fights or moments spent learning about various things the Time Lord rambled on about. Higher up in the peaks, they stopped for a few hot beverages, and Yaz once again found herself exclaiming adoration for the area and the blonde.  The cold began to bite more in the last few moments, the Doctor sliding half of her coat off in order to wrap it and herself around Yaz. By the time they returned to the TARDIS, the young woman had excused herself to take a quick shower before their dinner arrangements. Left alone to delight in how the day had turned out, the Doctor leant against the console and smiled, both of her hearts full.

 

She really did love Yasmin Khan.

And Yaz loved her back.


End file.
